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Friday, August 13, 2010

Story

You can enter if you want, but it's almost over with.Here's my story along with my picture! (By: John Everett Millais) Name: Sir Isumbras at the Ford

Finding Him

Kathrine Cole lifted the heavy bucket and sighed. “Kate, I wanna mifk.” Kathrine looked down to see her chubby baby brother tugging at her dress.Kathrine laid down the milk bucket and rested as she grinned at her little brother. “Now Thomas, what do you say when you want something?”Two-year-old Thomas looked at the ground shamefully and said, “Sowwy, may I pwease have some mifk?”Kathrine smiled her big-sister smile. “Sure, as soon as we get back to monastery, you may have a big cup.” She pulled her shawl close to keep out the November air.Thomas looked up cheerfully, and said, “Alwight! Can you hold my hand? Pwease may you hold my hand?”Kathrine shook her head and said, “Sorry, Thomas, but I’ve got to carry this for Sister Martha. You can walk with me though.”“Alwight, I tan waf, see me, I big boy!” Thomas toddled ahead with his chubby legs. Wow, he is real fast. For a baby, a least. Kathrine thought as she bent over to give her back a long rest. When she finally stood up, she saw that her dear baby brother was already nearing to the deep pond. Kathrine stood up, frozen for a split second. She had heard many stories of babies and small children drowning, and that would not happen to Thomas, not if she could help it. Kathrine dropped the bucket, running towards the pond as fast as her legs could go. She reached the pond and scooped up the baby in her arms. “Oh Thomas, I thought I’d lost you for good!” Thomas looked at her with his big blue eyes. “I wove you.”Kathrine smiled and said, “Now Thomas, you mustn’t ever, ever, ever go near that pond, do you hear?”“Uh-huh Kate. Can you pwease hold me now?” Kate looked back at the milk pail laying in the grass, about to turn over. The nuns needed that milk, even though only fourteen nuns lived at the tiny monastery, they were very poor, and Kathrine knew they could not do without it. But what was more important, whether she and Thomas had cheese, milk, and yogurt, or her baby brother feel into the pond? Certainly her brother, Kathrine thought. Forced by her decision, she determinedly ran with the baby towards the old bridge. Though Thomas was only two, he was big for his size, and Kathrine small and thin for twelve years of age. Kathrine panted for breath then sat down on the grass.“Sorry Tom, but I can’t hold you anymore.”“But I’m tierd. I wanna you hold me.”Kathrine sighed.Thomas looked up at her with big blue eyes. “Kate, may you pwease hold me? I be good, I not go in da pond! Pwease?”Kathrine knew she had to go on, so once again she picked up the baby and started walking quickly towards the bridge. Soon she had to stop again, and this time she was too weary to go on. There was still a good half mile until she reached to small monastery, and Kathrine had given up. Kathrine dreamed away as she looked into the mist of the pond. How I wish I had a mother....then every day I could help her take care of the house and garden...and put Thomas to bed....Mother would tuck me in at night and kiss me on the forehead like other children’s mothers do....Shame on you Kathrine Rose Cole! Why, you are so lucky to have a good home in the monastery, while most orphan children live in the orphanage, scrubbing floors all day. The nuns treat you perfectly fine! I just don’t get enough time with Thomas.....they certainly would never kiss me at night, I sleep in the kitchen....but it’s still better than sleeping many other children in the same room....isn’t it? Oh, but I still wish I had a mother....or a granny....Suddenly Kathrine was awoken from her day-dream, by a noise she hadn’t heard in a while. “Why, it’s a horse!” She stood up and shaded her face with her hand. An old man on a beautiful black horse was approaching her.Kathrine picked up Thomas, who was still sitting on the brick bridge, and straightened her dress. I wish I had shoes, She thought, looking at her dirty bare feet. “Hello children.”Blushing, Kathrine looked at her feet. “Hhello, sir.”“Good day, child, what might you be doing on this chilly day?”“I was carrying the milk for Sister Martha, but on the way my baby brother almost fell into the pond.” Kathrine pointed to the foggy pond.The old man stroked his beard. “Ohh. Well, I’m heading beyond the pond, close to the forest, and I’ll just stop by the monastery on my way through with the milk. Fine with you?”Kathrine stepped back and almost gasped. “Wwell, yes, if you would not mind the trouble. I can go back and get it later.”The kind man shook his head. “No, no, no. It’s no bother for me.” He nodded his head and headed towards the pond.“Well,” Kathrine said out loud as he rode through the grass, “I sure didn’t expect anybody to be that nice.” She held Thomas by the hand and finally came to her senses, she simply walked with him. He whined a bit, then toddled along when Kathrine explained to him in her motherly voice that he could not be held, and that if he whined it would simply make things worse. The siblings arrived at the monastery singing a hymn they had learned from the nuns. Kathrine pretty voice disappeared as she saw Sister Alice running towards her. The nuns never ran, and Sister Alice actually looked happy. “Oh, darling Kathrine,” Sister Alice panted for breath, then swallowed, “Kathrine, we’ve found a home for Thomas! He’ll live with a - why Kathrine, dearest, what is wrong?”Kathrine gasped and her hand flew over her mouth. “Yyou...you can’t take Thomas away!”Sister Alice stepped back. “Why Kathrine Cole! You should be absolutely happy that your brother gets a home! But you, you are worrying about yourself! How sinful, we need your help and you are going on thirteen, old enough to take care of yourself. And baby Thomas, how he needs a Mother, and then when we find one you insist that we can’t give him away! You are a rude child, and have no right to stay here. Now, go and put the mild - whatever did you do to the milk? Did you give it to Farmer Steven’s calf again?”Kathrine looked at the ground. “No Sister. I.....I....I...”Sister Alice shook her head. “Whatever will I do with you? Well, now, hurry along and bring some wood in, it’s going to be cold tonight.”* * * * * *Kathrine piled more wood unto her old apron, her shoulders dragged and her lips trembled. “How will I ever live without Thomas? I can’t live without Thomas, that’s for sure. I’ll never, never, never, ever be able to. I’ll simply die and - ““Hello Miss? I’ve brought you milk.” Kathrine jumped back then remembered the kind old man she had met on the bridge earlier that afternoon.“Oh, yes, sir....thank you sir!” The old man looked tenderly at her. “What is wrong, child, you’ve been crying.” “Nothing.” Kathrine answered, rubbing her eyes.“Oh...well then, why are you sad? Don’t worry, I’m not going to hurt you.”Kathrine looked up into his kind brown eyes and shook her head. “No, I know you wouldn’t hurt me! But it’s just....that....”“What child?”“They’re going to give Thomas away, and I’ll probably never see him again!” Kathrine said hastily, then she burst into tears.The old man looked at her tenderly and sat down next to her. “Ohh...now I see. Thomas is the darling little baby you had trouble with carrying all the way to the monastery, correct?”Kathrine tried her tears. “Yyes sir. And when most Mothers die they tell the oldest to take care of the younger children, though I don’t really know because my Mother died on a ship with Father, but I’m so very sure they’d like for us to stick together. I and I love Thomas, so very much, and I don’t think I can bare living without him, he is almost all I live for.”The old man raised his eyebrows. “Really? He’s all you live for?”“Yes, sir. I don’t have any friends here. You see, I don’t go to school, the nuns teach me.”“They don’t teach you about Jesus?”“Huh? Oh, well, yes, but all that’s just plain boring. I’m young, and those things don’t interest me.”“Really? Jesus is the best friend I have.”Kathrine looked at the ground then looked up at the man she had come to admire.“Honest? I mean, you’re so nice, and I can’t see how you could listen to those awful boring sermons. I get lucky sometimes and fetch to milk from Farmer Steven.”“They’re not boring, once you get to know Jesus it’s the best give ever. And I think he wants your heart, you have troubles right now and he wants to comfort you.”“Are you teasing me? Jesus is just sermons and you have to be Holy.”“No, child, all you have to do it be sorry for your sins and let him come into your heart. Have you ever lied? Or stole?”“Um...once I told Sister Alice that Farmer Steven didn’t have milk for me today but really it spilled because I was running with it...and...I took...an apple from Mrs. Harris once.” Kathrine looked at the ground then burst once again into tears, “Once...once...I..I...let the cows out from Farmer Brown’s pasture because I wanted to show off to Todd Brown that I wasn’t afraid to...then I lied and said he did it...I’m an awful girl, and I’ve always acted nice and shy and sweet.”“Jesus will forgive you, all you have to do is let him come into your heart and he will change you if you’re really sorry and want to change your ways.”“I want to do that, but I can’t see why he’d want me.”“He does, child. Let me pray with you.”* * * * *So the old man prayed with Kathrine. She let Jesus come into her heart that day, but Thomas was still leaving the next morning to live with his new Grandfather.As the old man finished praying with Kathrine, he stood up and said;“Child, I’m going inside the kitchen and asking Mother Hannah something. Finish up then come inside.”Kathrine obediently started gathering fire-wood again. When she walked inside, this is what she heard:“Well, I suppose we could do without her, she will probably be heart broken to leave her darling little brother anyway, so I suppose you could take her.”“Well, I’ll get my horse saddled up and we’ll be out of here, my wife has dinner ready.”Kathrine’s hands flew over her mouth. Wood spilled everywhere. “Child, what have you done this time. Oh well, I’ll get Sister Alice to clean it up. You’ve got a Grandfather and a Grandmother now. And you will live with Thomas. Stop gawking, go change your apron and pack your bag.”Kathrine nodded and packed her few belongings. In five minutes she was outside with her baby brother, and the old man, now called Grandfather, helped them up. Soon they were riding along the pond, through the sunset. Thomas clung to his new Grandfather’s back, Grandfather had put on his old knight suit to impress the children, and Kathrine sat in the front, remembering the days when she didn’t have a family and, most important, when she didn’t have Jesus.

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Did you like it? I'm barely over the limit of words and I hope I can still enter it!

Oh, and please comment and tell me if there's any mistakes.

Allison, I still need your address, if I don't get it before the 18th I'll draw another winner.

Hope you enjoyed and let me know what you think!You sis in Jesus,Kendra

by
Kendra Lynne

7 comments:

Dear Kendra, Great story! You are officially entered in my contest:D. Sorry I did not tell you this sooner, but I received your letter the other day, and will write back soon as I can! Hopefully before my trip:) Love From Your Sister in Christ,Grace